Book 6: Chapter 23.1
Star Entry
★ Church ★
Grenjido had an anguished look on his face. No one knew what he was fighting internally.
What was he feeling at that moment?
But the struggle ended before long.
It seemed as if the light filtering in through the stained glass had diminished.
As if that was the trigger, the priest shouted,「The goddess is supreme!! The goddess is the sole faith!!」
In response, the priest’s attendants shout out.
「The goddess will save us!」
「Goddess!」
「Goddess!」
Neither Earl Sillys nor Eva expected the church officials to shout like this.
They should not have been mentally interfered with.
However, they believed that faith in the goddess will boost the status of the church.
The church will become the highest authority reigning in the world.
「Shut your mouths! His Majesty is currently–」
「——Enough, Earl Sillys!」
The surroundings calmed down when Grenjido let out a low, groaning voice.
It wasn’t just his voice. Grenjido’s eyes were bloodshot. He teared red with blood.
Thick blood vessels emerged on his forehead as if those were living parasites. And his greasy face turned ashen pale.
「You almost got me with your nonsense. Guards, arrest Earl Sillys, his daughter, and her companions.」
「!!」
Earl Sillys realized at that moment that Genjido’s remaining ego had disappeared.
The guards tied up Earl Sillys and Eva hesitatingly.
「Your Majesty…」
Earl Sillys did not know how to reach out to Grenjido anymore. He felt as if there was no more turning back for Grenjido.
「Earl Sillys. You deliberately sabotaged the plan to build the temple of the goddess, which is our top priority in the Holy Kingdom, and also tried to use your daughter to damage the planned temple site. This is a grave sin. I hereby sentence you to death.」
「…Your Majesty.」
「No! Father!!」Eva screamed.
Grenjido pulled out the sword fastened to his waist.
The work-of-art-like beautiful blade shone, reflecting the seven colors of light from the stained glass.
「Die.」
Earl Sillys closed his eyes tightly, at which time a black shadow appeared on the stained glass, like a stain.
Grenjido’s blade swung, following down in an arc.
The shadow grew larger and larger.
Even Grenjido thought it was “strange”, and turned around. The shadow collided with the stained glass and broke inside.
「Ooooooooooooooooo!!」
「—!!」
At once, Grenjido swung his sword towards the shadow, but it twisted its body in midair to evade the sword’s trajectory and pointed its feet at Grenjido’s forehead, launching a powerful kick.
Grenjido was sent flying behind, and the intruder landed softly while activating【Wind Magic】.
「To think there was an apostle of the goddess in such a place… EH!? Duke Grenjido!?」
The intruder, a black-haired, black-eyed boy, shouted in a startled manner.
**
“Apostle of the Goddess” means exactly what it sounds like. To live for the goddess and to die for the goddess. That is their utmost joy.
The “Apostle of the Goddess” who I attacked turned out to be Duke Grenjido.
…I kicked the man who used to be the king of this nation and sent him flying. This is lese-majeste and can be sentenced capital punishment, right? Far from disrespect, isn’t it basically treason? Either way, I’m in danger!
「…Huh?」
I landed right in the middle of the church. And when I looked closely, I saw Earl Sillys — this might be the first time I saw this man staring dumbfoundedly — and he was tied up.
Beyond that–
「My lady!? And Asha, Zerry-san–」
「Nice save! Bochan!」
I witnessed the rare sight of Zerry-san being tied up, but it was only for a moment. Zerry-san slashed the rope with the concealed blade in her sleeve and smoothly slipped past the group of dumbfounded guards.
Zerry-san cut the sword belt of the soldiers while escaping. The swords fastened to the guards’ waists fell, sowing further confusion among the guards.
「Hahhhhh!」
Speaking of Asha, she burned her rope with【Fire Magic】. The rope binding Lady Eva and Earl Sillys also burned in the same way.
At this time, the guards finally started to move.
「Y-Your Majesty!?」
「Defeat the intruder!」
「Don’t let him escape!!」
「Bochan! Fire off one shot!」
When Zerry-san reached the entrance and opened the door, she waved towards me.
「Ah, okay.」
I didn’t know what was going on at all, but I deployed【Wind Magic】with both hands.
A storm blew. I created a windless path for Earl Sillys, Lady Eva, Asha, and the petite woman behind them to the entrance, and sent the soldiers flying to the left and right.
There were some soldiers who tried to resist with their own【Wind Magic】, but I forced them down by adding more mana.
「…!?」
「…!!」
「………!!!!!」
It is difficult to control wind in an enclosed space.
The skin on the guards’ faces were pulled by the wind, their eyelids rolled up, their cheeks swelled, and drool slobbered all over their faces. They tried to hold their ground, but it was to no avail.
「…!?!?!?!」
Zerry-san, who stood at the entrance to the church, which is an escape point for the wind inside the church, was also in trouble as the wind blew into her face and made all her hair stand on end. …I think I will ignore that.
「Let’s escape! …Uhh, that’s okay, right?」I asked the Earl.
「You saved us, Reiji-san. However…」
「——Earl?」
Earl Sillys did not walk towards the entrance, but in the opposite direction.
There was only shattered stained glass, a sword, and the fainted Duke Grenjido.
The Earl picked up the sword that had fallen beside Duke Grenjido.
「Father…. Fatherrrrr!!」
Lady Eva screamed.
Shortly thereafter, the Earl swung down the sword.
The tip of the sword was about to slash Duke Grenjido’s head — the instant right before the steel made contact, the sword bounced away.
Earl Sillys’ hand bounced as if he had touched something hot, and the sword slipped from his grip and flew far away.
「W-What…」
「Earl! We have to escape!!」I cried.
I grabbed the dumbfounded Earl’s back and forced him back to his senses.
The relieved young lady and everyone started running simultaneously.
The other woman, whom I didn’t know of, was panicking, so I had to carry her with both arms and started running towards the entrance.
We followed after Zerry-san who was trying to stand firm due to the storm.
After turning off【Wind Magic】and closing the door, I invoked【Earth Magic】and blocked the door.
(Why did the Earl try to kill Duke Grenjido? In addition to that, what was that barrier?)
And then we escaped.